Fate Refuses to Give Lotlhuitl Her Due

[09:11] Lotlhuitl had taken the time to rest at Little Mame. She'd leant against a statue, mask hiding her face and expression from view.. though, perhaps not her identity.

It was.. filled with youths. Somehow, the Nagual found this lightly disturbing. These teenagers were all about half her age.

She was getting old and the world wasn't her oyster anymore, well. If it ever had been.

And so the tall Nagual had turned. Biting back bitterness, angst. Biting back corruption. She needed to get away from these bright and cheerful youths. She needed to --

And that, a flash of electricity later, was how the Nagual found herself once more standing up on the mountain. Looking down at the youngsters fighting -- training maybe. Maybe they'd all kill each other.

How long did she stand at the cliff edge? Truthfully, she lost herself in it. It wasn't until the skin at the nape of her neck prickled that she turned. Her long, silken blue-black hair had fanned out with the motion. And the jewellery she wore jostled against the scant metal plate adorning her rich brown flesh. A chorus which repeated 'Jingle. Clink. Jingle.'

"Oh," Lotlhuitl exhaled. A woman. A redhead. Shorter than her.

Forgetting the youths for the moment, forgetting her quest to venture to Gaiar Aetherius, Lotlhuitl walked closer to the figure. Hips swaying with each step. Jingle, jangle, jingle.

Yes, as stated before the mask covered the majority of her face from view. Leaving only her eyes. Green, appraising. Trailing up the business-attired woman's form, tracing each curve. Though. When her gaze finally reached the redhead's face, it would be obvious that Lotlhuitl's expression had shifted from being appraising to well, being completely startled.

Lotlhuitl STARED. Beneath the mask, her rich brown skin had taken on a distinctly ashen hue.

Her wide-eyed gaze was befitting of a woman who looked like she'd seen a ghost.

But, surely not. Surely running into JaDrako was enough for one day.

Suspicion. Lotlhuitl swallowed sharply, breaking her gaze with the mysterious woman.. her gaze once more tracing up and down the stranger's body. Her tail twitched beneath her cloak.

"Nice view, isn't it." Lotlhuitl breathed, inclining her head towards the cliff edge and, well, Little Mame below.
(Lotlhuitl)
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[09:21] The redhead was growing oddly impatient; her long-con ploys just weren't as fruitful as she had hoped and living like that of an exile once over wasn't sitting too well in her stomach. It made her yearn a little harder for change, made her burn all the more brighter on the inside.

But this? This was to be the calm before the storm, the gentle rittle-rattle before the thunderous boom and thudding that was to come.

Like with any change, one had to hurt first before shedding the thing which failed to protect them and for Meryl, it was discarding her past heritage in order and image in order to do just that; like with Ellenore and the other Valmasian slaves she had interacted with in Cruxati territory, the woman had for all intents and purposes performed the exact same measures, albeit upon herself --in reverse too.

Though there were things she just could not change, merely conceal for the first glance and if one scrutinized her hard enough; she'd squirm and squeal.

At first the jingle-jangling clinking of jewellery went unnoticed; sounds to the wind in Meryl's mind.

Until it got louder and soon enough an all-too-familiar face sprouted up within her view, within her reach!

Eyebrows momentarily furrowed, but it was with this moment, the business woman knew she was in a pseudo-sense of danger; not physical but moreso mental, as if past-memories and other such angers were to be raked and wrought from the soils she had buried it all beneath.

"Yes.", a small blurt of speech came out, voice rich, silky smooth yet much-much more mature. Unintentionally husky --hoarse, bordering on sultry. That within itself was a dead giveaway, despite the accent being more Valmasian.

"Something you want?"

A sense of deceitfulness began to unbottle from the woman; her aim to keep the game up for as long as she humanly could, to lie and deceive likeshe had been doing so for the past fifteen or so years.
(Meryl)
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[09:33] It wasn't so much Lotlhuitl's face which would be recognisable to 'Meryl,' concealed as it was behind a snarling feline mask, but the Nagual's body, her hair, her general mannerisms. The smudged remnants of a rune at the nape of her neck -- the one at her hip seemingly vanished.

Lotlhuitl visibly flinched as 'Meryl' spoke. Her eyes wide. Tail bristling, unfurling from around her slender waist as she continued to STARE.

"I, ah," Lotlhuitl stammered. Her mouth was dry. Her hands suddenly clenched in front of her.

Lotlhuitl wasn't an idiot. Her dear friend might have wear a costume, glasses. Years might have passed. Her friend might wear the identity of a Valmasian woman like Lotlhuitl wore a mask, but it was clear by how the Nagual was staring that she, well, saw through it. Lotlhuitl DREAMT about THIS WOMAN. (Well, along with Noa and Xoconan and everyone else she'd ever been jealous of. But that was all irrelevant.)

Furthermore, the last she'd heard, Xitlalli had been alive and had wanted to see her. Amyas had said as much. And, truthfully, she'd been ironically keen. Heck, perhaps even somewhat pathetically, Lotlhuitl been, well, desperate to make the meeting happen.

Though, like this? Nononononononono. NOPE.

Perspiration threatened to dot her forehead.

Lotlhuitl just hadn't even had time to prepare herself mentally. She'd imagined this going very differently. She'd imagined herself being smooth and suave. Being someone that the woman who had once been her dearest friend would, well, be jealous of.

The Nagual swallowed. Inhaled. Exhaled slooowly. Willed herself to compose herself. She stood up straight.

"Last I heard, you wanted to see me."
(Lotlhuitl)
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[09:42] The face that was Lotlhuitl, be it her mannerisms and her body and the fact the small blip of handiwork that Xitlalli or rather Meryl had provided was still present and accounted for; it was that much the now business-appearing Meryl was able to figure out that Lotlhuitl was...

Lotlhuitl.

"Maybe. Maybe not.", she tittered out, smirking for a moment or two; it was how she liked things, awkward for the other, so she might twist their arm and much more. It was now here she had the advantage, rather than having the playing field either equal or against her.

"You know how much trouble you caused me? With those loose lips of yours? Both top and bottom.", Meryl suddenly jittered out, leaning off from the rock, beginning to pace around Lotlhuitl! From there, blue eyes, appearing yellow thanks to the sunglasses she now wore, set to appraising the Nagual like a piece of meat; if Lotlhuitl was still able to remember what and who Xitlalli was, she might even feel the lusty woman's eyes on her!

"Still lacking in areas, I see. Slightly better... But still. Tch-tch-tch. I suppose you heard the news then? Xoconan is dead, one of my issues out of the way."

"Or do you still yet grieve for someone that caused us oh-so-many-problems?"

As she waltz'd around Lotlhuitl with footing that was far too graceful, almost dance-like, Meryl got to business; cutting to the chase as it were. She had plenty to discuss and a bit of a topic or two to sort out with the Nagual.

"I will be honest, I've been meaning to hunt you down again, Lotlhuitl, to have you again! Though, to be fair, greed isn't my game. No-no-no."

A blush surged onto Meryl's face, a lick of the lips ensued and her pacing ceased! From there, she stood directly behind the Nagual.

"Oh how I constantly told Somnus; only for him to reveal his truecolours to me. But now? Now I'll have Saruin and whatever he wishes to do, to stress him out. Make him feel bad for his little self-righteous act."
(Meryl)
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[09:56] There was something about being around 'Meryl' that made Lotlhuitl feel completely, totally inadequate. It was so hard for the Nagual to hold back, to suppress the corruption which threatened to spill forth from her as the once-spirit-dancer paced around her.

The words she spoke hit her like a blow to the gut. "I-" Lotlhuitl exhaled, chin held high. She did not move as Meryl appraised. Tension suddenly forming in all her willowy limbs.

"I was trying to save you." Defensive. Vastly more than she intended on sounding.

The woman's voice was muffled by the mask. Her expression hidden. The only part of her face which was visible was her eyes. Green. Large. Reflective. Oddly so, like the pupils had grown larger than they ought to and the back of her iris was reflecting light which, well, wasn't there back at the once-spirit-dancer.

Did she grieve Xoconan? Wisely or not, Lotlhuitl offered no answer. Her oh-so-fluffy ears were pinned backwards, the woman obviously listening to every word her best friend said to her.

Her tail twitched involuntarily as 'Meryl' told her that she'd been meaning to hunt her down, to have her. Her skin was warm, and the words only seemed to make her warmer. And yet, she shivered.

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Lotlhuitl finally murmured, in response to the comment about Somnus and Saruin. "Saruin? Self-righteous act?"

Finally, she turned. Looked down at the dancer. Her fingers twitched, plainly, she wanted to reach out. To touch her.

She wanted to tell 'Meryl' the truth: that she'd missed her.

But, fuck. Even she knew how pathetic that would sound. And she didn't do the whole emotional, touchy-feely shtick.

And so the serious Nagual woman STARED down at 'Meryl,' holding her breath for a moment as her gaze searched the woman who had once been her best friend.

The woman who had enthralled her.

The woman who had done so, Lotlhuitl believed, because she had been weak. Perhaps it had been done to help her. It didn't matter. Only one thing mattered now: convincing Xitlalli that she, Lotlhuitl of the Cruxati, should be
ENVIED.

"I'm not weak any more, Xitlalli."
(Lotlhuitl)
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[10:07] In truth it wasn't about magical strength or physical strength, if one didn't have enough will nor ambition to make it all count. Xitlalli knew of Lotlhuitl's inadequacy or rather low self-esteem, the want to be envied by all and yet... That was not the case, now was it?

"Oh, you did very much the opposite. Caused me grief upon end. Either way, I've been disruptive here and there. I'm glad I brought ruin to that idiot, Xoconan even if I wasn't the one to end it all.", a blurt of responses given out, before she paused!

Xitlalli/Meryl saw no reason to be envious of Lotlhuitl, she saw no reason to be jealous! So as she glared upon Lotlhuitl's scantly-clad form, there'd be naught but a lecherous smile, eyebrows furrowing for a moment until she spoke swiftly.

"As if I care for your strength, dear.", from there she reached out with her right hand, as a tell-tale swirl of greenish miasma began to coalesce around it! "No, I only care for what I desire and right now, it's certainly not you raising your voice to little old me.", it wasn't an attempt to enthral, though it might come off as that.

"No, I've better ideas for you. You know Lotlhuitl, I want recompense."

But if allowed, a rather pleasant, sickly and warm feeling would surely wash and soak into Lothuitl's flesh... Or would it? In truth this was merely passionate curiosity in Meryl's case, the wanton need to discover how Lotlhuitl might react to her power, something she was still learning here and there.
(Meryl)
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[10:38] Lotlhuitl's gaze almost appeared to glow as Meryl continued to talk, making it clear that bitterly blamed the Nagual for 'grief upon end.' The Nagual had grit her teeth. Tension in her limbs as she STARED without blinking down at 'Meryl.'

"You were pleased enough when I fucked Choi at the time," Lotlhuitl retorted sharply. Her voice low. Terse. Anger hiding whatever pain or grief she might have felt at the lack of favour her once dear friend was showing her now.

Comments about Xoconan's death were again met with a frosty silence. Lotlhutil HAD mourned Xoconan's loss. Her feelings towards her once-husband were complex. And she didn't want to defend them at all to Xitlalli.

And then she sucked in a sharp breath, feeling the vivid green glow at the woman's right hand. Unprompted, without conscious thought, without meaning to, corruption spilled forth from the Nagual at the presence of 'Meryl's' power. Unlike the power in the once-spirit-dancer's hand, Lotlhuitl's was.. pale. Not so much a misasma, as it was, well. Jagged reflections - like shards of a semi-transparent mirror - popping into existence where no reflection ought to be.

Reflecting a pale and sickly green light right back at Xitalli or Meryl or whoever the Sin of Lust wanted to pretend to be.

{{Gosh. What kind of Envy Sin are you, anyway? Even Xitlalli is better at disguising herself, compared to you!}}

"Recompense?" Lotlhuitl breathed. She was rooted to the spot. Corruption oozing from her tall, willowy form as she STARED at 'Meryl'. Obvious YEARNING in her gaze.

She shook her head harshly, taking a step back.

"I suffered foryou!"

Something snapped.

"I'm better than your equal now, Xitlalli."

The reflections suddenly blossomed into full view, pale green buffeting against the spirit-dancer's lovely, lovely form.

"I'm prettier than you! Smarter than you! Stronger than you! You should BEG me to teach you, like you once taught me! You should BEG for a fraction of my power. That is how the world FUCKING works, Xitlalli! That is what I am FUCKING due!"

Lotlhuitl screamed, aiming to shove her best friend solidly in the chest.

"GIVE ME WHAT I AM DUE!"
(Lotlhuitl)
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[10:48] Blame was tossed here and there and the two seemed to be splintering here and there in the process of such. Though Xitlalli was still Gehennan to the core, no matter how much she tried to hide it; she viewed this as a challenge! Something to rise up to, something she desired to make untrue for Lotlhuitl's words, after all, if she did lose to Lotlhuitl?

Then what had she been doing!

Since the reflections, however jagged showed off her imperfections, her aging made obvious; though thanks to her power not as severe as one might seem, for she was oddly enough attracted to her own self. This merely caused conflict within her own self; a plight on the inside that she could not rub off or wash away.

"Lies!", she snarled out, stepping back from Lotlhuitl with anger present within her voice, "No! You haven't learned, you made me suffer with your craven ways, forcing me to hide away here and there to avoid the mobs hunting me!", only to scream out with accusations of her own, to reveal HER grief as she was shoved back.

"No! You'll give me what I... Want!"

This was not what she liked; being 'beaten' at her own game or having another trying to outsmart her in such a field. How could she allow herself to be brought down lowly by that she had once bested, that which she had once been able to outplay despite them having more raw power?!

No, that wouldn't do, not at all. So with one swift motion, a hand reached for that shimmering, vibrating magical blade upon her hip, drawn out in one quick flash.

""You cannot and will not beat me. I refuse. I always get what I want, you aren't prettier than me nor smarter. I will make you BEG for me, like the times of old."
(Meryl)
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[11:00] You learned the spell Meteor Dash.
[11:07] ** Meryl has inflicted an injury upon Lotlhuitl. ("Permanent Injury", "Permanent Injury", "Permanent", "Severity: MODERATE (-20 Vit)") **
[11:23] To a woman like Xitlalli or Meryl rather, there was no such thing as 'friend or foe', in the end, all were to be her toys! Sources of which she could derive pleasure from, attention from and so much more; it was this which made Meryl, detrimental to all those around her, though her sin allowed her to hide a bit more than say a... Wrath or a Greed, though her vice was flawed; she held little control at best in heated moments.

And this was one of those heated moments; like it or not, Lotlhuitl was just yet another one of Xitlalli's desires, someone she wished to sate her vice upon and in turn induce change into the woman.

Change was one of Xitlalli's biggest desires; it could be built up through lies and deceit and emotional manipulation, tools of the trade in Xitlalli's mind, or was now Meryl's?

It was this split in her identity! Caused by the Spirit Rot from years ago, which still is affecting her to this very day, allowing her to whip up depraved fantasies and relive scenarios not quite her own.

To Lotlhuitl it might feel as if she was fighting a stranger at times.

"I told you, Lotlhuitl, I'd have you. I've beat you, no matter how much you've grown. I always get what I want, and I've no shame in resorting to cowardly tactics and otherwise to achieve what I desire."

A woman of few morals, if any! Xitlalli, or Meryl rather rushed towards the Nagual, inflicting pain and torment; lightning, ether and cosmic magics combined to make a brutal assault.

Had it not been for her dancing around the ashen landscape, Xitlalli might have not been able to land her blows so decisively and more importantly, proceed with the marking of the Nagual's flesh once over. Though this time her design differed; a wing-like pattern of green runes which cut painfully at first into the flesh, only to wash out a sickly, desirable warmth in time.

Though that was after, the barrage of ether and cosmic which brought Lotlhuitl to her knees, to be nothing but budding clay to Meryl's hands! But only for a moment; it would appear as if the woman's allure just wasn't strong enough to compel them to stay a moment longer against their own will!

Xitlalli's impulsive nature --Meryl's impulsive nature, would likely have consequences in the future, but her lack of forward thinking, prevented her from making much of it as of now.

"There, much! Much! Much! Better! I wonder how you feel!"

And just as on cue; that forest-green sickly light around Meryl began to dim and recede back into her form.
(Meryl)
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[11:38] 'I told you Lotlhuitl...'

Brought low before Xitlalli, the Nagual screamed, "no!"

Pain.

'...I'd have you.'

And again, "No!"

Suffering.

'I've beat you...'

The woman was marking her again. "No!"

Humiliation.

'...no matter how much you've grown.

Her face pressed into the ground, body sprawled out in front of Xitlalli. She wasn't just kneeling. No. The Nagual woman was forced to kowtow, to prostrate herself.

Something snapped within Lotlhuitl.

Reality shook and trembled, unreal reflections - that sickly glow - glowing all the brighter as the wounded Nagual thrashed about on the ground.

Her mask had fallen off at some point.

And the new rune glowed too. A runic wing, placed on her (totally not a tramp stamp) lower back.

And Lotlhuitl found herself staring up at Xitlalli in awe and fear and not at all without a maddening degree of yearning awful desire. Her hair a mess. Hanging over her face. Her will sapped.

"Xitlalli..!" Lotlhuitl whimpered, the Aura of Envy around her gradually fading. Well, not so much fading as each little reflection appeared to shatter one by one.

How did she feel?

She was nothing compared to Xitlalli.

Worthless.

She wanted to be Xitlalli. That's all this had been! Xitlalli should have been in her position.

But she wasn't.
(Lotlhuitl)
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